The researchers began by creating foams with honeycomb like pores that ranged from 10 microns (micron-foams) to 10 nanometers (nano-foams). The pours encompassed between 50 and 80 percent of the foam's total volume. The pores were created using either combustion or acid etching, followed by dry curing.

The team discovered that the foam with the smallest pores -- the 10 nm pore-size nanofoam -- absorbed impacts the best. Larger foams suffered so-called "damage localization" when exposed to trauma. The energy absorbed was poorly distributed, leading to failures. As a result, these foams would be poor candidates for body armor or building materials.

Smaller pore size films performed better. [Image Source: UCSD]

The work is far from over. The current foams, which will be presented at the Research Expo April 18 on the UC San Diego campus are made of silica. While the results are promising, the team believes polymeric or metallic nanoporous foams of similar pore composition may perform even better.

The team used a special gun to test the impact resistance. [Image Source: UCSD]

Professor Qiao brags, "We are getting some impressive results. People have been looking at preventing damage from impacts for more than a hundred years. I hope this concept can provide a new solution."

Yup. It couldn't possibly be used for bridges, overpasses, and high rise apartment buildings. Nope. They'd never lease out floorspace of such a building to small businesses or startups either. Oh, and normal everyday non-billionaire people never work for said corporations and would never make up the vast majority of people occupying such a building at any given time either. It is simply inconceivable that anyone in the vicinity of such a building during a impact event would gain any benefit from the lack of building falling on them either. You are correct, this must be an invention that exclusively protects billionaire interests from earth quakes, bombs, tornadoes(?), and hurricanes(?). We should keep throwing our money at energy negative projects that clearly benefit the "people" and certainly don't serve the interests of the multibillion dollar agricultural industry ... Oh wait.